In Enemy Hands
by Lily Hanson
Summary: This time, Oedius set her sights on a human the Rangers would be sure to hate. She had been watching them enough, following their every move. She was likely the only person on Galvanax's ship who had noticed the pink Power Star had switched hosts for a quick time. She knew everything, and she hoped that would be the tipping point.
1. Jail Break

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

Madam Oedius wasn't sure when it all started to happen; when she turned on Galvanax. She remembered the very day Galvanax became a champion of the universe, and she remembered the creation of his show Galaxy Warriors. She remembered being a fan of his back at the absolute height of his popularity and cheering him on whenever he appeared on TV. She remembered seeing him as a ruthless, powerful being that would crush anyone who opposed him.

Eventually, Galvanax stopped with the fighting. He held onto the title of champion for so long that warriors who challenged him had to earn the right to fight against him. That meant fewer battles, since he was only fighting with the worthiest, and the longer he held onto his title, the more challenges his opponents had to overcome just to face him. His ego continued to grow and he started to see himself as indestructible. His fans were ever adoring and believed he could do anything.

One day, when he heard of the power of the Ninja Power Stars, he knew he had to have them. He knew he was worthy of them. So he obtained the Prism, tried to grab one of the stars and found himself rejected. He set up a challenge. Whoever was worthy enough to grab a power star would become the next new champion (only if they could defeat him, of course, and he knew they wouldn't). Fans and warriors from all reaches of the galaxy embraced the challenge and would fight each other for the honour of trying to grab a Power Star. When every warrior failed, Galvanax grew frustrated with them and would find a reason to punish them. His fans, who felt he could do no wrong, would always support his decisions.

But Madam Oedius, who could see Galvanax for more than what was shown on TV, saw the champion grow weaker. He wouldn't fight, he wouldn't train. His ego was the only thing he continued to strengthen. She was sure, against any opponent, Galvanax would find himself struggling. He may still come out the winner, but it wouldn't be in the same, crushing manner as it had been in his prime.

Against the Rangers, Madam Oedius knew Galvanax would fail. If he fought the six of them, he would lose. It was plain and simple. Madam Oedius felt that she could beat him herself, but she didn't want to.

No, instead, she had a different approach. While everyone was so focused on the show and on Galvanax, and fighting themselves for his validation and for the title of champion, Madam Oedius was free to work behind the scenes on her own plans. She would be the one to grab all the Ninja Power Stars. She would be the one to earn Galvanax's respect.

Then, she would crush him. He would be far too weak to fight back and he wouldn't have the Power Stars to back him up. Madam Oedius would defeat the greatest warrior in the galaxy, and perhaps the universe, and it would be time for her to rule.

However, to accomplish that, she needed everyone to believe Galvanax was still the strong, brave, undefeatable warrior that they all saw him as. She needed to guard his reputation, and find ways for him to exert his power so he didn't reveal how pathetic he was truly becoming. In his eyes, and the eyes of all who watched, she remained his biggest supporter.

Behind the scenes, she was planning his demise.

She had some sneaky ways of going around his plans. She didn't want Galvanax to know she was sending down monsters to attack the Rangers, so she needed to be less obvious about it. Aiden was the perfect monster because, to Galvanax, he was just a human who was causing trouble. He had no reason to think Aiden worked for Madam Oedius, or that Aiden had any real knowledge of what happened on the ship.

Unfortunately, Aiden was met with his demise. The Rangers figured out he was nothing more than one of Madam Oedius' creations and they defeated him. Madam Oedius was without her greatest warrior and that burned her.

So, she looked for another. And this time, instead of trying to use someone the Rangers might love, she set her sights on a human the Rangers would be sure to hate. She had been watching them enough, following their every move. She was likely the only person on Galvanax's ship who had noticed the pink Power Star had switched hosts for a quick while. She knew everything, and she hoped that would be the tipping point.

The guards were terrified as she approached the prison, especially when they tried to shoot at her with their guns but she didn't slow down. They let her walk right by as they coward in the corner, begging she spare their lives.

Alarms started to sound. More guards would rush out while the prisoners were being rushed away. Madam Oedius assumed they were being taken somewhere for their safety and to prevent escape. Some of the less cowardly guards tried to fight her. They would be met with their end.

Eventually, Madam Oedius found the prison cells, with the prisoners all locked up inside. Some of the guards still tried to stop her, but Madam Oedius had other plans.

"So, this is the worst this planet has to offer?" she asked as she looked around, seeing the criminals cowering in their cells as their eyes remained glued on the dead guards who had tried to stop Madam Oedius. She knew the prisoners were at her mercy. They wouldn't have weapons to attack, or anyway to defend themselves. If she wanted, she could kill them all now.

But she didn't. Instead, she found the cell she needed and pointed to the prisoner she wanted.

"You," she said to a man and he looked around, hoping it wasn't him. But Madam Oedius nodded, then pulled opened the door to his cell. "Come with me."

"Me?" he asked. "But… but…"

"You know the identity of the pink Ranger, do you not?"

"No one believes me," he said.

"They will soon," Madam Oedius smiled and waved him over, "Come on."

-Ninja-Steel-

The Rangers had many places they liked to train. Sometimes, it was in the garage just outside the school. Sometimes, they liked to head out to a clearing in the woods. Other times, they liked to train on Brody and Levi's property. They felt by mixing it up, no one would be able to find the exact spot where the Rangers trained, and so no one would stumble upon their identities.

On this day, the Rangers had opted to train on Brody and Levi's property. They planned to hang out together after and so having a couple showers nearby that they could use to freshen up afterwards was appealing.

Most of the Rangers had already showered and changed into clean clothes. Sarah, who insisted Kelly train with the Rangers, stayed outside a little longer to run her girlfriend through some basic attack and defensive maneuvers. In the off chance she was targeted again by Madam Oedius, Galvanax, or whoever else wanted to fight the Rangers, Sarah wanted to know Kelly was ready.

Since they were last to come in, they were the last to shower, and while their friends waited for them, they had the TV on. As they flipped through the channels, the Rangers found some breaking news.

Kelly was first to come out of the shower, but the Rangers didn't hear her. She walked into the living room and when she asked what everyone was watching, they all jumped up and Levi turned off the TV.

"Oh… okay… is this like… Ranger group porn or something?" she asked, confused by the secrecy. "Come on, guys, we all have guilty pleasures."

"It's not porn," Preston said. "We're watching the news."

"What's happening?" Kelly asked and reached for the remote, but Levi held it high.

"You don't want to know."

"Uh, journalist dad," Kelly reminded him. "The news kind of fascinates me, you know. Is it good? Bad?"

"Bad," Hayley answered. "Very, very bad."

"Okay… so… shouldn't I know? Did the president say something stupid again? Is it world war three? Have we turned on Canada?"

"Not yet," Calvin shook his head.

"Has Canada turned on us?"

"Kelly, this isn't politics," Levi said. "This is about prison. There's been… a break in?"

"Break in?" Kelly frowned. "Uh, don't people try to get out of prison?"

"Yeah, that happened too," Preston nodded his head. He rubbed the back of his neck, "Madam Oedius broke in and… all the prisoners were able to break out."

"All… all the prisoners?" Kelly gulped. "So… like, thieves and con artists?"

"Murderers, rapists… uh… pimps."

"Pimps?" Kelly frowned just before it hit her. "Wait, like… Drex? Like, guy who kidnapped Sarah and tried to… you know. That prison with that pimp?"

The five Rangers all nodded their heads.

"Madam Oedius broke into that prison? Did she take him?"

"We have no idea," Levi answered. "Security footage is missing and so are all the prisoners. We have no idea which are free, which she took, if any."

"We just know they aren't in prison anymore," Brody nodded. "Which means the worst of the worst of this country are running free."

"Because that's exactly what we need," Kelly muttered.

"What is exactly what we need?" Sarah asked as she made her way into the living room. She noticed the worried looks on all her friends faces and frowned. "What?"


	2. Two Rangers

Sarah had never felt this… panicked before. She fought monsters on a regular basis and risked her life for the city and the planet. She had stood against Galvanax and taunted him – trying to anger him.

But the news that Madam Oedius had walked into Drex's prison and either released him, or took him to be her next warrior – that terrified Sarah more than anything. More than the monsters. More than Galvanax himself.

And she didn't know why. She was a Power Ranger. Drex was only human.

Right?

"Are you okay?" Preston asked her after they explained what they had heard on the news. Sarah snapped out of her thoughts and nodded her head.

"Y-Yeah."

"We know he's out," Levi said. "We know what Madam Oedius did. We won't be completely blindsided if we see him."

"Yeah," Sarah answered again.

"We can have the buddy system. No on goes anywhere alone," Preston offered. "Calvin, you can live with Hayley and Kelly for a while, right?"

"I think so," Calvin said and looked to Hayley, who nodded her head. Calvin was always welcomed. Her parents liked him and knew how happy he made her. She could easily come up with a reason why Calvin would have to stay for a week or so and they wouldn't mind.

"And I can stay with you," Preston told Sarah. "That way, no matter where we are, there's always two Rangers."

"That's a good idea, Preston," Brody nodded. "No one is alone. No one can be singled out. If Madam Oedius tries anything, we'll be ready for her."

"And we can check in with each other all the time," Hayley said. "Text messages, phone calls, video chats. However, we have to do it."

"If we even just have a bad feeling, even in the middle of the night, just shoot out a text. If you're not in trouble, answer it," Calvin said. "We'll have to trust our guts on this one. I know I'd rather be annoyed by a three AM text, than have something happen that I could have prevented."

"Agreed," the rest of the team said except for Sarah. Kelly took her hand and squeezed it.

"You're going to be okay," she assured her, but Sarah shook her head.

"I need some air," she said and stepped outside, with Kelly following her.

Kelly sat with Sarah on Brody and Levi's front porch. She knew this was tough news to receive. She hadn't known Sarah when Drex had kidnapped her, and she knew the stories Sarah had told her about that time were just the tip of the iceberg, but Kelly had seen the scars. In fact, the day they met, Sarah had been littered in bruises and cuts from her time with Drex, and her confidence was just starting to come back.

"It's okay if you're scared of him," Kelly said, to which Sarah nodded.

"I hate him."

"Anything you want to talk about?" Kelly asked. "Like… is there anything specifically that worries you?"

"Everything," Sarah answered, to which Kelly nodded.

"Fair enough. But… like more specifically? He's never… I mean, I know you said he didn't but… he's never… like… you know?"

Sarah shook her head. "He tried and I stopped him."

"What about when you were little?"

"He's got some boundaries," Sarah answered.

"That's… good?"

Sarah shook her head again and sighed. Then she grabbed her Power Star and started to leave. Kelly sighed, called for Preston and then rushed after her girlfriend.

-Ninja-Steel-

Jenny's heart was pounding in her chest when she saw the news through social media. An entire prison of society's worst had escaped thanks to Madam Oedius, and Drex was one of them. While Jenny couldn't be sure Drex was the reason Madam Oedius had gone to the prison in the first place, she couldn't allow herself to think that was only a coincidence.

Now, Madam Oedius and Drex were likely a team, and if that was the case, Jenny had a million things to worry about. What to make for dinner fell very far down that list.

She pulled off her apron and stepped out of the kitchen. She didn't know what to do or where to turn. She needed to protect Sarah, she knew that much, but she wasn't sure what she could do to protect her Power Ranger daughter. She certainly couldn't protect her from Madam Oedius, and Jenny wasn't sure what she could do to stop Drex, especially if he had help from the vile monster who set him free.

When she felt her emotions getting the better of her, she headed inside. She didn't want her neighbours to see her burst out into tears, or trash her front yard. She took a deep breath as she stood in her front hallway, contemplating what to do next. Her only thought was protecting Sarah, and if she couldn't do that, she knew of only one other person who could: her brother. But as she reached for her phone, the front door opened. Before Jenny could do anything, an arm was wrapped around her neck and she felt something press into her back.

"Scream," a man's voice said, "and the first thing step-daughter is going to see is your body bathed in its own blood. Understood?"

Jenny nodded her head as a promise to remain silent, and though she never saw the intruder, she already knew who this was. Drex hit her in the side of the head with his weapon and while Jenny was dazed he pushed her to the ground and pressed his knee into her back. He grabbed her arms, and with cuffs he bound them behind her back. Then he pulled her back up to her feet and dragged her up the stairs. He brought her to the bathroom and locked her inside.

"Impressive," Madam Oedius said as she climbed the stairs. "Though, the mother of a Ranger is not nearly as powerful as the Ranger herself."

"I didn't even break a sweat," Drex said. "I think I can take on the little bitch."

"Remember what I said: overconfidence is what killed my last warrior. I expect better from you."

"Controlling bitches is what I do," Drex growled.

"But can you control a Ranger?" Madam Oedius asked.

"Give me what I need, and you can be sure, I'll have all six of them on their knees, begging for your mercy, before you know it."

"You're making big promises," Madam Oedius said.

"Whatever, just… give me the armour."

"You get only one," Madam Oedius said. "I risked a lot getting you out of that cell."

"I don't disappoint," Drex promised and Madam Oedius handed over what appeared to be a green Power Star. Drex smiled as he placed it on his belt and was then immediately covered in a thick green armour. Though it appeared heavy, and Drex had assumed that it would weigh him down, he could barely feel anything but powerful as he looked to it. Madam Oedius gave him one final warning about moving too quickly with the Rangers, then disappeared.

Drex marvelled at his new powers, then remembered Jenny in the bathroom. As he turned to open the door, a twisted smirk appeared on his face. He opened the door, saw Jenny laying helplessly on the floor and couldn't wait to test out his newfound powers.

He didn't get a chance as the front door flew open and Jenny immediately started to scream. Drex held his hand out to her as a blaster appeared, but Jenny's screams still didn't stop. He thought of just blasting her, just getting her out of the way, but Sarah, Preston and Kelly all raced up the stairs to find him standing in the doorway.

So he pointed his blaster at them. Sarah tucked Kelly behind her back as she and Preston both morphed. They held up their swords, ready to fight.

"Kelly, call the others," Preston said and Drex laughed.

"You think they'll make it here in time?"

"We did," Preston nodded.

"Where is my mother?" Sarah asked. She knew Jenny had to be home. She had no errands to run since they had been done yesterday and there was no one in town to visit. Jenny had to be home and that meant, for however long, Jenny had been alone with Drex.

"Prison," he answered and Sarah growled. Her grip on her sword tightened. Drex put his finger on the trigger. "Oh, you mean your step-mother?"

He kept the blaster pointed at Sarah and Preston as he reached into the bathroom and pulled up Jenny. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close so she wouldn't even think of running. Then, he pointed the blaster at her head.

"This is what I want," he said. "Two Rangers, wrapped up nice, coming with me. Otherwise, I kill step-mom here and take… What's your name?"

He looked to Kelly, who had just finished texting the others to come as quickly as they could. Sarah growled again, but Drex noticed she wouldn't move closer to him. Not while he had her mother hostage. He smirked.

"I'm going to count down, he said. "And if I don't have two Rangers to take home, mama here gets it."

"Sarah, Preston, don't do it," Jenny shook her head, but Drex pressed the blaster harder against her head. Sarah knew what she had to do and powered down. Preston turned to her, and though his face was hidden by his helmet, Sarah knew he appeared baffled.

"We can take him," he said, but Sarah shook her head. She placed her Power Star in her back pocket and put her hands up. Kelly saw where Sarah put her star and picked up on the hint.

"I can't lose two parents," Sarah said. "Preston, please…"

"I'm taking two bodies with me," Drex warned. "And trust me, if Madam Oedius lets me have even just a minute alone with any of these lovely…"

"Okay, okay," Preston said and winced as he powered down as well. "Fine, just… let Jenny go."

"Hey, kid," Drex called out, then tossed two cuffs over to Kelly. "Wrap 'em both up nice for me, okay?"

Kelly caught the cuffs, but wasn't sure what to do. Sarah put her hands behind her back then glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Kelly.

"I'll be fine, alright."

"Doubtful," Drex smirked.

"Just do it," Sarah said, then felt the cuffs snap on. Kelly did the same for Preston, then backed away as Drex let Jenny go and grabbed both Rangers. He pressed a button on his armour and the three of then disappeared.

Kelly let out a quick sigh, then rushed over to Jenny to help with her cuffs.

"Are you okay?" she asked the older woman, who shook her head.

"What do you think?" she snapped, then looked apologetically to Kelly. "Sorry, it's just…"

"I get it," Kelly said.

Finally, the other Rangers arrived. Kelly looked down from the top of the stairs and shook her head.

"Where are Preston and Sarah?" Brody asked.

"Drex is working for Madam Oedius," Kelly answered him, then reached into her pocket and held out Sarah's Power Star, "He's got two Rangers, but she's going to be really disappointed when she sees he only got one Power Star."


	3. Powerless

Jenny was shaking, she was sweating and she couldn't stop pacing. Drex, the man she had tried to keep away from Sarah, had stormed into her house and taken her daughter and Preston.

Just like that. It had happened so quickly, Jenny wasn't even sure it was real. It had to be a nightmare. However, it if was, Jenny couldn't wake up.

"Is it hot in here?" she finally asked and looked to the team of Rangers. They all shook their heads and looked to her sympathetically. She knew they thought they could understand how powerless she felt right now, but they really couldn't. They had no idea what it felt like in the slightest.

She remembered Sarah coming home from school one day, shortly after she and Bill were engaged. Jenny had just moved in with her fiancé and his nine-year-old daughter. She was unpacking some of her things from their boxes when Sarah stormed into the house and slammed her backpack on the floor. Bill wasn't home and Jenny had never seen the little girl in any state except for happy before. The step-mother to be was already in over her head, and she had barely even moved in.

" _Sarah?"_ she called from the kitchen and stepped out into the hallway. She gasped when she saw Sarah with a dark circle around her eye and on her cheek. From the moment Jenny first met Sarah, she could tell the little girl was tough. When they met, Sarah had earned herself a concussion, so Jenny saw her that night in the hospital. Sarah had already put the pain behind her and was upbeat when Jenny walked in. She spoke confidently to the woman she had never met before. Bill always told Jenny stories of how resilient his daughter was, and how she had a tough and smart head on her shoulders and a kind, open and loving heart.

Fighting didn't seem like Sarah. Losing a fight seemed even less like her.

" _What happened?"_ Jenny asked and inspected Sarah's face, though she wasn't sure what to look for. She never imagined herself having kids and never thought she would have to take care of one.

" _People are stupid,"_ Sarah answered plainly and tried to storm off into her room, but Jenny grabbed her arm. She couldn't let Sarah leave like that. She needed more answers for when Bill came home.

" _Why are people stupid?"_ she asked, but Sarah didn't answer. She turned her head away, hiding her bruise and Jenny heard her sniff. She quickly realized this would be the first time she saw her soon-to-be step-daughter cry. She knelt before Sarah, held her gently and made the little girl look to her. _"Hey, Sarah, it's okay. You're not in trouble, alright. Why are people stupid?"_

Sarah pouted, then sighed. She reached into her bag and took out her toy, _"Look what they did to Squishy!"_

Squishy was the stuffed unicorn that Sarah liked to carry around with her. Apparently, Bill had bought it for Sarah before he had won custody of her, and he brought it the first day he met her. Sarah had latched onto it, as she had been very scared on that first day, and she had never really let it go since.

She had been so excited that morning when she knew she could bring Squishy to school for Show and Share. She was looking forward to sharing her favourite toy with all her friends at school. She had prepared her presentation the night before, and Jenny remembered watching her go over the presentation again and again, wanting to do well.

Now, Squishy had come home with her white fur covered in mud and a hole along the back. It was nothing the washing machine and a little sewing couldn't fix. However, Sarah's heart was broken.

" _They took her and threw her on the field,"_ Sarah said.

" _How did you get that black eye?"_ Jenny asked. Sarah looked up worriedly, like she knew she was going to get in trouble.

" _I pushed someone."_

" _Who?"_

" _He broke Squishy's neck!"_ Sarah held up the stuffed toy. To Jenny, there was no broken neck. The toy was just that: a toy. It had no bones, no nerves, no tendons or muscles. There was nothing that could be broken (except, of course, the muddied fur and the tear along the back). _"He said unicorns were gay, he threw her in the field, so I pushed him in the mud."_

" _Sarah…"_

" _I had to!"_ Sarah insisted. _"Then he punched me!"_

" _He punched you? Who is he?"_

" _Jack,"_ Sarah muttered. _"I hate Jack!"_

" _Sarah…"_

" _I do! I hate him so much! He called me a whore, he broke Squishy's neck, he threw her in the field and he punched me!"_

" _He did what?"_ Jenny gasped, and though there wasn't a parenting bone in her, she knew she had to do something he. _"He called you a what?"_

" _A whore,"_ Sarah answered, then looked down sadly at her unicorn. _"Jenny, is Squishy dead?"_

" _Go… do your homework,"_ Jenny said and took Squishy from Sarah. _"I… I'll fix this, okay?"_

" _You can do that?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Jenny promised. _"Just do your homework and… I'll make this better."_

Sarah left Squishy with Jenny and raced upstairs. Jenny found her box with her sewing kit and started to work on the hole on the unicorn's back as she searched through Bill's address book for Jack's mother's number. Sarah had just invited her whole class to a birthday party and so Jenny knew she must have it.

She managed to reach Jack's mother, but a solution wasn't found. Jenny explained that Sarah had come home saying Jack had called her a whore, and all Jack's mom had to say about the matter was: _"Well, she's the daughter of one. Was Jack really wrong?"_

Jenny had to spend the next ten minutes arguing with Jack's mother until she eventually just hung up. She hadn't been able to change Jack's mother's mind or get an apology. She knew it wasn't Sarah's biggest concern. All she wanted was for Squishy to be good as new.

Sarah's mother was not Sarah's fault. Nor was it something that would ever define Sarah. Bill had worked hard to make sure of that and Jenny didn't want to see his work go to waste. Nor could she ever imagine allowing Sarah to believe that she was a whore, for any reason.

Yet, she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop what other people would think, and she couldn't keep the kids at school from calling Sarah names.

She told Bill about it when he came home. He seemed to know who to contact to be sure this wouldn't happen again and Jenny felt helpless as she watched him fight for Sarah. It was a battle she felt she already should have fought and won.

Then, she looked to Squishy, who sat on the counter. Her back was fixed and there was no more hole, but she was still covered in mud.

Jenny didn't know what to do about the name calling at school, but she had promised Sarah she would fix Squishy. She ran the unicorn through the wash and then presented her, looking just like new, to her step-daughter. Sarah's eyes lit up.

Maybe she couldn't stop the name-calling at school. And she didn't know what she would do if Sarah ever found out the truth about her mother. Maybe she would never get this parenting thing right. But, dammit, giving Sarah back her beloved toy felt good.

Back in the present, Jenny shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts of powerlessness. She wasn't a Ranger, but it wasn't like her only option was to sit on her butt and hope Sarah returned safely. The small act of returning a clean and intact Squishy had brightened Sarah's mood on the worst of days.

Jenny could do something small. It would make the difference.

"Drex didn't have armour," Jenny said to the Rangers. They turned to her. "When he broke in and locked me in the bathroom, he didn't have armour."

"He had armour?" Brody asked.

"Green armour," Kelly nodded. "Like… serious heavy-duty stuff."

"I heard Madam Oedius' voice," Jenny continued. "I couldn't see her, because I was on the other side of the door, but she was here. She gave him that armour. If we take it away from him, maybe… maybe that's all we need."

"How do we take his armour?" Levi asked. "Like, sneak in and take it all without him noticing or…"

"It must be one piece," Jenny said. "Preston, Sarah and Kelly weren't here long after Madam Oedius left and that blaster just appeared in his hand. It's got to be… like… powers or something."

"Like the Power Stars?" Kelly asked and held up Sarah's. "Like how the Ranger suit is armour?"

"Maybe," Jenny nodded. "Just… try to take that away from him. Maybe, without his armour, he's useless against Rangers."

"Worth a shot," Hayley said and the boys and Kelly nodded.

-Ninja-Steel-

Preston looked up at his restraints. His cuffs were secured to a chain over his head and even when he pulled as hard as he could, he wasn't able to free himself. The cuffs were locked tight.

"Remind me why we just gave up again?" he asked and turned to Sarah, who was still struggling with her restraints. She eventually gave up, then turned to Preston.

"I couldn't let him hurt mom or Kelly," she said. "We have a chance."

"Right," Preston nodded. His attention shifted to the door of his and Sarah's cell as Drex walked in. His armour was gone, but there was little the Rangers could do to him now.

"Just here for your Power Stars," Drex said. "It's all Madam Oedius wants. Once she has them, you're disposable."

"Great," Preston muttered as Drex quickly pat him down, found his Power Star in his pocket and took it. Then Drex moved onto Sarah and he eyed the pink Ranger for a moment before he started to pat her down.

"HEY!" Sarah shouted as Drex moved down her body slowly. "You aren't going to find it _there!_ "

"I can't be too careful, babe," Drex told her. "Madam Oedius said once she's done with you, I can do whatever I want."

Sarah felt Drex's hands moved down to her butt and pulled against her chains. Really, that was where she had put the Power Star, so he wasn't wrong to check, but since it wasn't there anymore, and it was obvious the Power Star wasn't there, Sarah didn't like how long his hands lingered.

"It's not there. Move on," Sarah growled and then was slapped so hard, Preston winced.

"You can't do that!" he shouted.

Drex finished patting Sarah down, but since he found no Power Star, he tried again. His hands lingered in the same places as before and when Sarah protested again, she was hit.

"Stop it!" Preston called out, but Drex only told him to shut up. He looked to Sarah, "Where's the fucking star?"

"I don't have it," she answered.

"Where did you put it?" he asked and looked around the cell. "Come on, bitch, Madam Oedius isn't going to be happy with either of us if I only have one Star."

"I don't have it," Sarah answered again. Drex growled loudly, then stormed off. Preston turned to Sarah.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"How long before the others get here?"

"I… I don't know," Preston said. "As soon as they can, though. Why?"

"Because I don't think he's going to wait like he did last time," Sarah looked to Preston sadly. He frowned.

"Wait? Wait for what?" he asked, but Sarah just looked to him. "Oh…"


	4. A Losing Battle

"You're not going on the ship?" Jenny asked as she looked to the Rangers, completely baffled by their plan. If it were her making the decisions, she would have already stormed Galvanax's ship to bring Preston and Sarah home. Nothing could have stopped her.

Unfortunately, that wasn't a call she could make, and she had no powers to support her if she tried to take on any monsters. She had already lost against Drex before Madam Oedius gave him a power boost.

"It's too risky," Brody stated. "We'll be up against Madam Oedius, Drex, Galvanax, Ripcon, Cosmo and any other monsters Galvanax has on board, including his prisoners and Kudabots."

"But…"

"Our best strategy would be to draw Drex out," Levi said as he agreed with his brother. "Take his armour, stop him and get Preston and Sarah back that way."

"But what if he doesn't bring Sarah and Preston?" Jenny asked and it was a reasonable question. He already had two Rangers and one Power Star. There would be no reason to bring either of them for a trade.

"If he wants the rest of our Power Stars, he'll bring them," Brody said. This time, it was Kelly's turn to object.

"Uh… wait a minute," she frowned. "I want Sarah back as much as… more than anyone," she said. "But she put her Power Star in her back pocket for a reason. She knew she was going with Drex and she still didn't want him to have her Power Star. I'll do whatever I need but… we can't just trade."

"What else are we going to offer him?" Calvin asked and Kelly looked around the base. The Rangers really didn't have much that they were willing to spare. All their weapons came in the form of a Power Star and their technology was no different from what was on Galvanax's ship already. Hell, it probably wasn't nearly as advanced as anything Galvanax owned.

"I… I don't know."

Jenny didn't like hearing this. Not one bit. Not only were the Rangers not going to storm the base to save Sarah and Preston, but they were going to offer up a trade to Drex and Madam Oedius and exchange their only protection? It didn't seem right.

"So, we're giving up our Powers… for what?" Jenny asked. "In the hopes that Drex, a drug dealing pimp, will honour a trade?"

"Well…"

"Whose to say as soon as they have the Power Stars, they won't just kill you all on the spot?" Jenny asked. "You won't be able to stop them."

"Yeah, but…"

"There isn't time to debate this," RedBot announced and turned his computer screen around to show the Rangers. "Drex is back. He doesn't look happy."

"Probably found out he's only got one Power Star," Hayley muttered.

"That's some heavy-duty armour he's got there," Calvin pointed out.

"Do what you can, for now, to defeat him," Mick stated. "Hopefully, a better plan will come to us before it's too late."

The Rangers nodded as they headed out. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief as she looked to the screen, prompting Mick to turn to her with a curious look.

"You're… happy he's fighting?"

"Not happy," Jenny said. "But if he's here, he's not hurting Preston… or Sarah."

"Ah," Mick nodded his head and sat next to Jenny. "You know, Madam Oedius is going to keep him busy until he has all the Power Stars for her. You can't… worry."

"Mick, all I do is worry," Jenny stated. "I mean, I never thought being a parent would be easy or fun. I never wanted kids to start. But even so, this parenting thing is just… worry after worry and… I honestly lose my mind once a day now and what can I do?"

"You're doing excellent," Mick assured her. "Sarah really is better off thanks to you."

"Thanks, but… she's in trouble right now and all I can do is sit here. She's supposed to be able to depend on me."

Mick chuckled lightly, "Jenny, Sarah's never needed to depend on anyone. At least, not as long as I've known her."

"But that should still be an option," Jenny said. "She should still know that when she needs me, I'll pull through. Mick, you weren't there. I… Drex showed up and I couldn't do anything. Sarah's with him right now because she protected me. That's not the way it works."

"Your roles are a little off balance," Mick said. "As her mother, it is your responsibility to protect her. As a Ranger, it is her responsibility to protect the planet, you included."

"But…"

"Mrs. Thompson, you're doing everything you can," Mick smiled. "You may not be able to protect her from Galvanax or Madam Oedius or even Drex, but Sarah is strong because of you."

"Because of Bill…"

"Because of you," Mick insisted. "Mrs. Thompson, you may not have always been in Sarah's life, but I can guarantee, her life is better because you are in it. Everything she does, everything she is, is a reflection of you."

Jenny smiled to hear this. Mick put his arm around her.

"She may provide the planet with safety. She may protect you. But knowing she's got your support is what keeps her strong."

"Thank you, Mick," Jenny nodded. "I really think I needed to hear that."

"Oh… oh boy," RedBot said and Jenny and Mick both looked over to see him growing anxious. "Drex's armour is… there's way too much power in it. Even with five Power Stars, I don't think the Rangers can stop him."

"What's happening?" Mick asked and came around to see the fight for himself. He saw the Rangers were struggling, and though they were doing their best to stay on their feet, they were losing power. "Oh… this isn't good."

"What? What's happening?" Jenny asked but Mick didn't answer. Instead he turned to the Prism, but it showed him nothing. He shook his head. Jenny continued to frown. "Mick? What is it? Are they going to be okay?"

Mick watched his Rangers take a hit, then another, and then another. Drex shot at them with his blaster and their energy readings took a nosedive.

"Rangers, fall back!" Mick commanded them, but as they tried to rush away, Drex stopped them, firing again. "Rangers…"

" _He won't let us go!"_ Brody called back. _"He's got way too much power!"_

"Leave the Power Stars!"

" _But Mick, we already can't beat him with them."_

"Leave them, Brody. We can figure something else out!" Mick said and though he spoke with confidence, he wasn't sure he believed his own words. However, he knew the Rangers were on their last leg. If they continued to fight, they would lose. At least if they abandoned their Power Stars, they could escape with their lives and a new plan could be made.

" _But…"_

"Just do it!" Mick shouted.

-Ninja-Steel-

"Is it working?" Sarah asked and looked up at Preston's hands as he tried to use magic to break their restraints. Preston sighed and shook his head.

"It's… it's too tough," he said. "And I'm losing feeling in my hands so it's just getting harder."

Sarah nodded. She knew what he meant. Their arms were pulled up over their heads and were slowly losing circulation as a result. Her fingers were feeling numb and her arms felt like jell-o. She knew Preston had tried his best, it just wasn't enough anymore.

The door to their cell opened as Madam Oedius walked in. Usually she was smirking, but this time, there was something about her smile that left both the Rangers feeling uneasy. She held up Preston's Power Star.

"Looks like blue isn't the only colour in my collection anymore," she said. "Drex is on his way back with the five remaining Power Stars. Seems your friends weren't strong enough to stop my armour."

"What did you do to them?" Preston asked, his voice shaking as he did. He wanted to be strong. He knew he had to appear brave, but his worry for himself, and now for his friends was too great.

"Let's just say, they won't be joining you," Madam Oedius answered.

"So what now?" Sarah said. "You just destroy us, give the Power Stars to Galvanax and let him rule the galaxy or universe or whatever?"

"Hand them over?" Madam Oedius laughed and shook her head. "Are you kidding me, child? After all that work I put in creating that armour? All the work I put in getting Drex out of that prison? All the work I put in obtaining these Power Stars? You think I'm just going to hand them over?"

"Isn't that the plan?" Sarah asked. Madam Oedius shook her head again.

"My dear, Galvanax is just a face," she answered. "At one time he was the greatest warrior. At one time, I marvelled at his strength and power. At one time, I worshipped him and would have done anything for him, including sacrificed myself. However, that time has past. Galvanax is no longer the warrior anyone thinks he is."

"So, he's not the big bad?"

"Without your Power Stars, I still wouldn't fight him," Madam Oedius said. "Your human strength is no match for Galvanax even at his most vulnerable. However, with all six Power Stars in my possession, my own strength and my superior intelligence, I am best fit to become the ruler of the universe. The title and power of champion is about to be mine."

"So then what are you going to do with us?"

"You're worth nothing to be," Madam Oedius shook her head. "Drex can decide for himself what he wants for you."

"No… no," Preston said and started to fight his restraints while all the blood drained from Sarah's face. "Madam Oedius that… it's not smart! You may have our Power Stars and you may have defeated our friends but… as long as we're still alive, the Rangers have a fighting chance."

Preston had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was he didn't want Drex to be making any decisions about what happened to him or Sarah. He didn't want Madam Oedius to kill him, but he didn't want Drex near Sarah.

"A fighting chance?" Madam Oedius laughed loudly hearing this. "You? Well, I have to say, as much as I would enjoy killing you, you surrendered yourself to Drex, not me. You are his prisoners, not mine. I will honour that."

"I'll tell Galvanax everything you told me," Preston stated. Madam Oedius feigned fear for just a moment, then laughed again as she turned away.

"Goodbye, Rangers. Should you live long enough, next time you see me, I will be the ruler of the planet," she slammed the door as she left. Though Preston had already tried without success, he resumed using his magic. He needed to break his restraints. He needed to get himself and Sarah out.

"It's going to be fine," he told Sarah. "I'll get us out of here."

He tried, in vain, to summon his magic. He could see the slight glow in his fingers, but it was never enough. His hands were growing weaker by the second, but Preston was determined.

"I always win," Drex announced as he walked in. "What I want, I get. You knew that, though, didn't you, babe?"

He looked to Sarah with a smirk. Sarah pulled on her restraints and tried to step back. Drex grabbed some cuffs from his belt and slapped them on her wrists before unlocking the others. When Sarah tried to pull away, he pushed her to the ground, then climbed on top of her.

"Right here?" he asked. "You want to celebrate my win right here so your friend can watch?" he teased as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Get off her!" Preston shouted and pulled on his own restraints but to no avail.

"I'm okay with an audience," Drex said. Sarah tried to push him off, but he pinned her arms down over her head with one hand. Her restraints made it easier for him and his armour meant he didn't need to use that much strength to control her.

"Don't hurt her!" Preston shouted again, but that was all he could do.


	5. Nothing To Lose

Preston knew his magic wouldn't be enough but he kept trying. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't. Sarah was already fighting Drex with everything she had. Preston refused to let her fight alone.

"Don't touch her," he would shout and he noticed more and more that his shouting was becoming a distraction. Drex already had enough to do just trying to hold Sarah still. Though his armour made him stronger, it didn't completely stop her wriggling and stop her using every advantage she could get, however small. Anytime he tried to shift his weight or reposition her, Sarah would fight. Hearing Preston's voice on top of all that was irritating. Through Drex didn't mind the audience, he always preferred when they were silent and he preferred when they were women.

Preston was neither.

"Oh shut up!" he shouted and turned to the blue Ranger for just a moment. His grip on Sarah loosened, just a bit. The Pink Ranger took advantage. Drex had already begun to shed his armour, so he had a few weak points she knew she could hit. Her hands were still restrained so she lifted her head and hit him hard in his midsection. She heard a gasp from Drex and knew she hit him in the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of him. It gave her just enough time to headbutt him once again in the chin. This caused him to release her arms, allowing Sarah to hit him once more with a powerful punch. Drex fell from on top of her but Sarah wasn't done.

"Sarah!" Preston called out when he saw something fall from Drex's body. He looked a little closer and noticed it appeared to be a Power Star, just like one of theirs. "Sarah, take it! That must be his armour!"

Sarah punched him in the face once more, then picked up the Power Star and rose to her feet. She rushed to Preston and freed him from his restraints. He quickly returned the favour, unlocking her cuffs, then he grabbed her arm.

"We've got to go," he said as Drex started to rise. He was without his powers now, but Preston didn't want to fight. They needed to leave the ship.

-Ninja-Steel-

The Rangers returned to their base tired, defeated, but still alive. Calvin kicked a stool as he entered, knocking it over."

"Cal…"

"Sorry," he said to Hayley, then turned to Mick, "But we just had to give up all our Power Stars!"

"You're alive, aren't you?" Mick pointed out.

"How is that at all important?" Calvin shouted. He tried to approach Mick, but Hayley grabbed his arm. "We have no Power Stars, we've lost two of our friends. What does it matter if we're alive!"

"Calvin, calm down," Hayley begged him.

"We have a chance," Mick said. "You're all still Rangers. You can still fight."

"Because we're going to do a lot better without our powers," Calvin frowned. "We got our asses handed to us by an overpowered pimp! We're going to be the laughing stock of the Ranger world!"

"You're alive," Mick said, raising his voice. "Your Power Stars didn't choose you because of the power it had. You were chosen because of the powers you already had. Your strength, your perseverance, your…"

"Fine, I want to stop Drex. I want to save my friends," Calvin shouted. "But none of that means anything if we don't have enough powers to do anything! Drex has armour, we don't. Drex has six Power Stars. We don't. Drex has Madam Oedius and we have you."

"Calvin, take it easy," Brody said, but Calvin shook his head.

"No! He told us to give up our Power Stars!"

"Calvin, we're alive."

"Barely!" Calvin growled. "And we're not going to survive another fight. We're not going to survive a rescue mission and we have nothing to offer Madam Oedius and Drex for a trade."

"So we have nothing to lose," Kelly stated. "Madam Oedius has all the power. It's only a matter of time before she gives the Power Stars to Galvanax and then we're all dead anyways, right? If we storm his ship, we might die, but at least we might catch everyone off guard first."

"What are you saying?" Levi asked.

"We do the last thing anyone would expect from us," Kelly said. "We're down two Rangers, we have absolutely no powers, so it doesn't make sense for us to take the fight to them, where they literally have all the power."

"So why would we do it?" Hayley asked.

"Element of surprise?" Kelly shrugged. "Look, I get this is real life but… in every story, the villains always celebrate their win. They think they've crushed us, they think it'll be smooth sailing. They're not going to see us coming. If we get Preston and Sarah back, and maybe even a Power Star or two, we throw them off their game. They have to recalculate. It at least buys us a little more time before… you know, they destroy the world."

"That's extremely risky," Brody said. "If it doesn't go according to plan…"

"Which it won't," Kelly pointed out. "Nothing ever goes according to plan but what is the alternative here? It's not like we really have that many options, right?"

"We storm the ship or we don't," Levi nodded.

"If we don't, Galvanax just takes over," Kelly said. "We're going to die, or worse, and it's all over anyways. At least if we storm the ship, we tried something. Even if we die, we fought until the very end. I mean, if this is all hopeless, I'd rather be sure it's hopeless."

"You all need to agree to this risk." Mick looked to each of this Rangers, just to be sure there was no doubt. "You have to understand that there is a huge chance none of you will come back alive."

"Are we ready?" Brody asked and his teammates all nodded. He smiled to Mick, "Well, wish us luck."

-Ninja-Steel-

Preston didn't know his way around Galvanax's ship at all. Every turn was a guess, but it brought him further and further away from Drex.

His biggest risk? He didn't know what he was getting closer to. His goal was an exit. He wanted to find the way out and leave. However, there were hundreds of monsters on this ship.

He stopped running and found a quiet corner when he felt Sarah couldn't keep up. It was unusual for him to be running in front of her, and to be pulling her along. She had always been faster than him.

"Are you okay?" he asked her and Sarah held her head. He started to worry, "Sarah?"

"I'm okay," she answered to his relief. "I'm just… dizzy."

"We'll get you checked out once we're out of here," he said. He couldn't say he approved of her smashing her head into Drex when he was on top of her, but he knew she had no other choice. He knew risking further injury to her head once again was better than whatever Drex had in mind. Still, it didn't mean Preston couldn't worry. "Just… try to keep up, alright?"

"The Power Stars," Sarah said. "We've got to find them. Bring them back."

"Sarah, we have to get back."

"What's the point?"

"Safety?" Preston frowned.

"Really?" Sarah argued. "Leaving Madam Oedius with six Power Stars guarantees us safety if we leave right now?"

"I…"

"Preston, we don't know what happened to the others," Sarah said. "All we know is Madam Oedius has their Power Stars and that's not good. We need to get them back. We need… some advantage."

Preston sighed but nodded his head, "So… where do you think we find them?"

Sarah shrugged her shoulders, then she and Preston heard a shriek.

"What do you mean, they got away?" it was Madam Oedius. The two Rangers pressed their backs into the wall, trying to hide since they knew she had to be close if they could hear her.

"The blue one wouldn't shut up," Drex argued. "I can't focus if there's some guy… talking."

"So drag her out of the room. Kill him. Don't let them get away!"

"I tried, but... they took my armour."

"They… what?"

"Is there anything else I can use?"

A loud smack echoed through the halls and Preston and Sarah heard Drex hit the ground.

"You incompetent fool!" Madam Galvanax shouted. "I told you your overconfidence will cost you!"

"But I…"

"If you don't find those Rangers then you can expect a punishment much, much worse than death," Madam Oedius said and then stomped off. Preston looked to Sarah.

"Well, we know where she is," he said. "And she's probably got the Power Stars."

"Follow me," Sarah said and grabbed Preston.

"Wait, but…"

"We can't take on Madam Oedius," she said. "But we can screw her over royally."

"What are you talking about."

"The echo, it's too loud," Sarah smirked and turned to Preston. "This is a huge ship. We're contained in a small part."

"But…"

"Madam Oedius wants to overthrow Galvanax. Do you think, if she was doing that, she'd be working somewhere he could just walk in?"

"I guess that wouldn't be smart, but…"

"Let's tell Galvanax exactly what Madam Oedius told us," Sarah smirked.

"Wait," Preston said and grabbed Sarah's arm as she started to leave. She stopped and turned to him. She frowned as he pulled his sweater off and then handed it to her. It was only then she remembered Drex had torn her shirt and she was running around in her bra.

"Thanks," she said and blushed a deep red as she covered herself up.

"Finding Galvanax," Preston reminded her and thought it was best her switch the topic of conversation quickly. Sarah nodded, then quickly took off.


	6. A Betrayal Covered Up

Finding their way out was easy. Finding their way out while trying to avoid both Madam Oedius and Drex made their task a challenge. However, by listening carefully for incoming footsteps, Preston and Sarah were able to find the way out of Madam Oedius' base and into Galvanax's ship without being detected.

"Now what?" Preston whispered.

"We tell Galvanax everything," Sarah said.

"And hope he believes us."

"Yeah, and that," Sarah nodded, then raced forward. Almost instantly she was spotted by a Kudabot and then surrounded. Sarah didn't put up a fight and when Preston was discovered, he didn't either. He let the Kudabots grab him, restrain him and take him and Sarah straight to Galvanax.

They were forced to kneel as Galvanax approached, and he didn't seem happy to see them at all.

"How did you arrive on my ship?" he growled.

"Madam Oedius brought us," Sarah said. Galvanax glared at her.

"Madam Oedius?"

"I'll bet you anything you have no idea what she's up to," Sarah said with a smirk. She knew Galvanax was tough. She was surprised by Madam Oedius' confession that he was no longer powerful as he appeared, but he was keeping up appearance and she knew he wouldn't want to be challenged physically or mentally.

"I…"

"So I'll bet you already know about her secret lair," Sarah said. "And about her warrior Drex, who collected all six of our Power Stars. And about Madam Oedius' plan to use all the Power Stars to kick your ass and take over the universe."

"What?" Galvanax roared and as if on cue, Madam Oedius appeared. She stood next to Galvanax.

"Galvanax, are you really going to listen to these children?" she asked. "You've caught them on your ship. It is clear they are up to something."

"And how did they arrive here?" Galvanax asked.

"I will admit, I thought I had found a warrior suitable for taking out the Rangers. He managed to capture these two."

"And yet, you didn't bring them to me right away."

"Without all the Power Stars, what's the point?"

"She was never going to give you anything," Sarah said.

"If there is a Power Star on this ship, I want it," Galvanax growled as he looked to Madam Oedius. She shook her head, then glared at Sarah and Preston as she produced the blue and pink Power Stars.

"Of course."

"She's got four more," Sarah said. Madam Oedius looked like she wanted to smack Sarah before she turned to Galvanax.

"The Rangers have held onto the remaining stars," she said, but…"

"Search her," Sarah told Galvanax. "She's got ours close to her, she must have our friends' too."

"Surely you trust me more than you trust these colourful fools," Madam Oedius said to Galvanax with a smile. "Why would I want to withhold Power from you?"

"Madam Oedius…"

"I stood by you loyally for centuries," Madam Oedius reminded him and Preston could see Galvanax was being swayed. Of course, he was more likely to believe Madam Oedius over Sarah, but that wasn't what the Rangers needed.

He had his feeling back in his hands and he had seen where Madam Oedius had kept his and Sarah's Power Stars. So, with a flick of his wrist, he used his magic to remove the remaining four. He smiled when Galvanax looked shocked and Madam Oedius appeared horrified.

"They were telling the truth!" Galvanax roared. "Kudabots…"

"Wait," Madam Oedius put her hands up. "Let us talk in private, Galvanax. There is a reason I didn't tell you about obtaining all six Power Stars."

"You have one chance, Madam Oedius," Galvanax said, then he turned to the Rangers. "Kudabots, take them to the stage. I want their execution broadcasted across the universe."

"Uh… Galvanax," a monster said and pointed to the television screen. "The Rangers are calling you out."

"What?" he roared as he approached the screen with a frown, only to find the Rangers in a quarry, calling for him to battle with them.

"What's wrong, Galvanax? Are you afraid you'll lose?" Brody said into one of the buzzcams.

"Lose?" Galvanax growled. "I… I never lose!"

"We'll fight you, on your ship, with your own rules," Levi added. "If you win, you keep our power stars. We win, we get out friends and our Power Stars back."

"Those fools have no idea what they're getting themselves into," Galvanax roared and seemed to forget everything about Madam Oedius as he stormed off. "Bring those Rangers to me. Prepare the stage for a battle. I want all the Rangers' defeat broadcasted."

"What about the Rangers?" Madam Oedius asked and pointed to Sarah and Preston.

"Kudabots, take them to their cells," Galvanax said, then smiled at the Rangers. "Make sure they're comfortable. They won't be leaving."

The Kudabots nodded and pulled Sarah and Preston to their feet. As they were dragged off, Sarah watched Galvanax hand over all six of the Power Stars to another Kudabot for safe keeping before he walked away. Madam Oedius followed, determined to save her reputation with Galvanax while the other monsters went to prepare the stage.

"Preston, now!" Sarah called out when it was just them and the Kudabots. They pulled themselves free and took out the Kudabots. Without their powers, they were all the two Rangers could fight confidently. Fortunately, they were Sarah and Preston's only opponents.

Sarah broke away from the Kudabots trying to stop her and Preston and rushed for the Kudabot who had the Power Stars. She knocked them out of his hand, then kicked him in the chest and sent him into a wall. As he hit the ground, she collected the Power Stars and tossed Preston his blue one. She pocketed the others. She had to assume Drex had taken the pink Power Star from Kelly, which meant right now, Kelly was the pink Ranger, not her.

Feeling her pockets were full with five Power stars, plus the star from Drex's armour, Sarah knew she and Preston had to leave. Unfortunately, the Rangers had already challenged Galvanax to a battle. They would be on stage, without their Power Stars, facing certain doom.

"One last rescue?"

"We've barely rescued ourselves," Preston said, breathing heavily. His suit gave him the strength he needed, but he was still exhausted. The few hours he had spent on board the ship already felt like days.

"Get the Power Stars to the other, then we disappear," Sarah smiled and Preston nodded his head.

"Do you know where the stage is?"

"It's where everyone is going to be headed," she said. "Come on, magic boy!"

"Hold up!" Preston called as she took off running and he found he could barely keep up.


	7. A Comeback

By the time Sarah and Preston could make it close enough to the stage, the Rangers were already in a fight against Galvanax and, as expected, he was winning.

Sarah and Preston were out of sight as they approached the stage and Sarah reached into her pocket. She placed all five of the Power Stars in Preston's hands.

"You'll bring them all home, right?"

"We'll be right behind you," he promised her. They had already agreed Sarah wouldn't make an appearance on stage. With Kelly as the active Pink Ranger, Sarah was still without powers and vulnerable. If anything didn't go exactly as the Rangers wanted it, she was likely to be killed. Not wanting that, she had already agreed to let Preston send her home with magic. She hated leaving her friends behind, but this was for the best. "Home, home?" he asked her. Or the base?"

"Base," Sarah reasoned and assumed after the attack at home, everyone would have gathered there. At the very least, she could depend on RedBot being in the base. One friendly face would be better than arriving in an empty home.

"Promise you'll get looked at, first thing?" Preston said and then gently tapped her head. "Even if you feel fine."

"Promise," Sarah nodded. Preston pulled her in for a tight hug, then used his magic to send her back home.

For Sarah, it all happened in an instant. One second, she was with Preston, holding him tight, and the next she was landing on the floor of the Ranger base. It took her a second to realize she had made it home and by the time she felt safe, Jenny was already hugging her tight.

"Oh my god," she said in disbelief as Sarah appeared before her, out of thin air. "Oh, thank god!"

Sarah remembered her promise to Preston. She needed to get her head checked. She had used it twice to fight off Drex when he had been on top of her and she had been dizzy almost immediately after. Despite how well her brain had healed thanks to Viera's powers, there was still some brain damage so her risk of injury was much higher.

However, now that she was finally safe, the weight of everything she had been through in a matter of hours finally hit her. Drex being released from prison, her coming home to find he had already attacked her mother, having to give up her power star, surrendering herself to Drex, him patting her down to find her star and slapping her if she dared tell him to stop. Worrying her friends were dead when she saw Madam Oedius had taken their powers and then having to fight for her life as Drex tried to undress her and have his way with her.

Sarah felt her legs give out, but Jenny never let her go. She lowered Sarah to the floor gently and hugged her daughter close as Sarah nestled in closer, needing to be in her arms; needing to finally feel safe again.

Jenny wasn't about to let her go. There was finally something she could do to help her daughter and she wouldn't disappoint. She pulled Sarah in closer and protected her from everything, even when Mick tried to check her for injuries. When Sarah started to sob, Jenny covered her face and whispered comforting words in her ears.

Mick let them be. His check up could wait. Besides, he only had one Ranger back. There were still six more who needed to come home.

Then, as if by magic, all six of them appeared in the base, just like Sarah. They hit the ground hard, but they were all alive and they were all holding their Power Stars.

"It… it worked?" Levi said and looked around, just to be sure he was safe. He quickly counted his friends and smiled. "We're all here!"

"That's a lot of magic," Preston said as he tried to catch his breath. He looked to his hands, which burned a little from having used so much of his powers in such a short amount of time. He let himself fall onto his back, then felt Brody pat him on the shoulder.

"You've earned a good rest," the red Ranger smiled.

When Sarah heard her friends voice, she turned and looked over her shoulder. Jenny slowly released her and Sarah dove into her pile of friends. Preston felt her weight land mostly on him and groaned as he was enveloped in a hug. He put his arms around Sarah, then smiled.

"You okay?" he asked and she nodded. He tapped her head, "Have you been checked out yet?"

Sarah shook her head, then pulled herself off Preston. She looked to Mick and he thought she was giving him the okay to quickly check her head. However, her glance then shifted over to her mother.

"Can we talk?" she asked and Jenny pushed herself up to her feet, nodded and headed out with Sarah. Before the pink Ranger could leave, she turned to Preston. "You uh… Can you…"

"What I saw," Preston said. "Just the facts?"

"Just the facts," Sarah confirmed. When she and Jenny left, all eyes turned to Preston.


	8. The Green Power Star

Jenny was no doctor, but she had learned how to check for concussion and brain injuries back while Sarah had been sick. She knew she would need to know quickly if Sarah needed medical intervention and had read all the books and spoken to all the doctors she could.

So when Sarah brought her into the Shop Classroom to talk, Jenny's first focus had been on Sarah's head and making sure her daughter was okay.

However, her attention was shifted quickly when Sarah started to tear up. When she told Jenny what Drex had tried to do, and how close he came, Jenny felt frozen. Sarah's heart completely shattered as she confessed everything, from all the details of Drex's attack, to the way it made her felt, to how she felt about it now.

Jenny could only hang her head in disappointment with herself. She should have been there.

"He's still out there," Sarah said. "What if he…"

"Don't think about that."

"But…"

"Sarah, don't," Jenny shook her head then pointed to the green Star Sarah held in her hand. The one she said gave Drex his armour. "Without that, he's nothing."

"If Madam Oedius makes him another…"

"You'll beat it too," Jenny said. She was completely in over her head. She had no idea what to say to make Sarah feel better, or what to do to make it right. She hated that this had happened and she knew she couldn't keep it from happening again.

Once more, she felt powerless.

"Sarah…"

"Maybe it's supposed to happen," Sarah whispered and Jenny felt terror consume her just by hearing those words. She shook her head.

"No."

"But… my mother…"

"Sarah, no," Jenny shook her head. "I don't care who your mother is. I don't care where or how you were born, where you spend the first four years of your life; this is not supposed to happen."

"But…"

"No, Sarah. No," Jenny said. "Absolutely not. You can't think that way."

"Mom…"

"You… you did everything right," Jenny said. "You fought, you didn't let him win. You hit him, you hit him again, and you ran."

"But…"

"Sarah, this isn't on you," Jenny told her and took her hands to squeeze them lovingly. "This isn't a reflection on you. It could have been anyone up on that ship. Me, Kelly, Hayley. Drex would have done that anyway. He just… he wants you because he thinks he has power over you."

"He does."

"He doesn't," Jenny shook his head. "He's had you three times now, exactly where he's wanted you, and you've stopped him every time… right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"He's scared," Jenny said. "He's scared and that's why he pretends like he's so tough. That's why he tries to control women like your mother and like you. It makes him feel powerful to control you and when you fight him, and especially when you win, you chip away at that sense of power. You beat him, Sarah. You're going to continue beating him."

"You don't know that."

"I do," Jenny smiled and cupped her daughter's cheek gently. "I know that because I know you. Nobody pushes you around. No one controls you. Believe me, your father and I have tried."

Sarah chuckled lightly hearing this. She had never been a difficult child, but there had been times, growing up, where her parents needed her to do something and she outright refused. It always ended with her parents eventually giving up and compromising with her.

"Sarah, I hope this isn't the case but… Drex can try all he wants. You're never going to let him win. I know that. And even if he does. Even if he gets what he wants, that's not a reflection on you, and how tough you are, and on your worth."

Sarah smiled and hugged her mother tight. After a moment, they were interrupted by a knock and then Kelly stepped into the room hesitantly. Her eyes were red and wet and she was trying to hold back tears. Sarah had to assume she didn't like what she heard from Preston and so she pulled away from her mother and let Kelly hug her.

"I'm sorry," she said. Sarah nodded.

"I'm okay," she promised her. "Really, I'm okay."

-Ninja-Steel-

That night, Sarah woke with a start. Her heart was pounding as it took her a couple of seconds to realize she was no longer in a nightmare. This was the real world and she was safe.

She started to catch her breath and glanced over to the spot next to her in the bed to see Kelly sleeping soundly. She knew her girlfriend would want to be woken up, but Sarah couldn't bring herself to do it. Her nightmare was over, she knew she was safe and it wasn't like Kelly had had the easiest day. She had to take over the duties of the pink Ranger, and lost a battle to Drex, then had to fight Galvanax without powers.

She needed the rest. Sarah kissed the side of her head, then slowly climbed out of bed.

Her nightmare had been about Drex – about what he had almost done. Sarah reminded herself of her mother's words, which Kelly had agreed with and Sarah knew were true, but that didn't stop her being afraid. That didn't keep Drex from coming back in her nightmares to finish the job. She knew, for the next little while at least, he would continue to violate her in her dreams.

Wanting to avoid that, Sarah made her way down to the garage. She still had the Power Star that Madam Oedius had created. It was the armour that Drex used in his fight against the Rangers and it gave him great power. His confidence that he had Sarah exactly where he wanted her had made the difference in his fight with her back in the cell, but otherwise, this armour was nearly invincible. Having that kind of power would be a great benefit to the team.

Sarah just needed to make a few adjustments.

She studied the star in her garage and noticed, thankfully, that it was quite like her own. It was a power source that could be harnessed by a host and provide them with protection and weapons on demand.

The armour, however, was a little overkill. If Sarah could tweak it, just right, she was certain she could give her team a bit of a boost.

It took her the rest of the night, and there was a lot of tweaking and tinkering and swearing involved, but by the time Kelly was out of bed and coming to check on Sarah, the pink Ranger was sure she was finished.

"How long have you been up?" Kelly asked, rubbing her eyes. She was clearly still tired.

"Not long," Sarah answered, then looked up at the clock, "Or… not."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I was okay," Sarah said. Kelly came over to see what she was doing.

"Is that Drex's Power Star?"

"Not anymore," Sarah shook her head. "It's ours now."

"Like a new weapon? An armour mode?"

"Armour was too clunky," Sarah answered. "Ninjas shouldn't be clunky."

"So…"

"Well, it's not connected to the Prism," Sarah said. "But… I think I made a new Ranger suit."

"What?"

"Hold it." Sarah gave the star to Kelly and then took a step back. "You still think you can't be a Ranger?"

"Considering I've taken your place twice now, I think when it's needed, I can fill in," Kelly shrugged. "Why?"

"Spin the star, like you would mine."

"Is it going to blow up?"

"When have I made something that blows up?"

"The doomsday machine."

"I only designed that, I never made it," Sarah argued. "Just trust me and spin the star."

"Can I go back to bed after?"

"Sure."

Kelly spun the star and then waited for something to happen. All she saw was the star spinning in her hand and Sarah looking to her hopefully.

"Well?" she asked. "Did it work?"

Sarah frowned as she approached her girlfriend, curious as to why nothing happened. Suddenly, a green light encased Kelly then filled the whole room, blinding Sarah. When it was safe to look again, a green Ranger stood in her garage. Sarah smiled brightly.

"Aha!" she said. "And it's your favourite colour."

"Wait? What?" Kelly asked and looked down at herself, seeing she was wearing a Ranger suit, but instead of pink or any of the colours she knew already existed, it was green. "Holy shit, you just made a Ranger suit."

"It wasn't that hard," Sarah shrugged. "Madam Oedius did all the hard work. I just made it… more user friendly."

"I'm the green Ranger?"

"Is that okay?" Sarah asked. "I mean, you don't have to fight by our side all the time but… it's an extra power boost for us to know we have a back up."

Kelly had to consider her choice for a moment. When she first discovered the identity of the Rangers, she knew she never wanted to become one. She saw the trouble her friends suffered and she knew how hard they worked. They had already been in shape before the Stars chose them and then dedicated themselves to training so they would always be ready for whatever came their way. They risked their lives defended the city and often did so without a second thought.

But over time, Kelly had come to realize that if she wanted something, she needed to fight for it. Madam Oedius had used her cowardice against her and it almost cost her Sarah. Since then, though Kelly was still afraid in combat, she knew that fear was nothing compared to the idea of losing her friends. It hadn't been her choice to become the pink Ranger the first time, but she rose to the occasion to help her friends and to help Sarah. When Kelly had to wear the spandex again, she was more than ready for it.

"We'll get to fight side by side now," she smiled.

The door to the garage opened again and this time Jenny walked in. She was still tired and had only crawled out of bed to make sure Sarah didn't need her. When she saw a green Ranger standing in her house, she groaned, "Another one?"

"I made a Ranger," Sarah smiled proudly.

Jenny sighed. Kelly was not her daughter, but since she was Sarah's girlfriend and she had no parents of her own, Jenny felt somewhat responsible for her well-being. Unbeknownst to Kelly, Sarah or even Hayley, she had already arranged to help the Fosters support Kelly when they needed it, whether it was by sending over some money to help pay for groceries or chipping in for some new furniture for the room they were building in their basement to give Kelly, and Hayley, their own spaces.

In other words, Jenny was invested. Kelly was not her daughter, but she was close enough.

"Screw it," Jenny said. "I'm going to get that anti-anxiety prescription. I don't care anymore."

"If you don't care, do you need the anti-anxiety?" Sarah asked.

"My daughter builds a hoverboard, clones, time machines and now makes Power Rangers," Jenny said. "Not to mention, she and her girlfriend _are_ Power Rangers. Trust me, I need drugs."

Sarah and Kelly chuckled as Jenny left the garage. Kelly removed her helmet.

"I think she's proud of you."

"I think I stress her out more," Sarah smiled. She looked to Kelly, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I can always get someone else to…"

"Sarah, I'm sure," Kelly said, then powered down. "I mean, I'm a little freaked out at the idea of being a part-time Ranger. You know, that kind of means that when I'm needed, shit's already hit the fan, but it's going to feel good, knowing I can help out."

"You'll have to guard that with your life," Sarah warned her. "It's not connected to the Prism, so anyone can use it."

"Good to know," Kelly smiled. She pointed to the house, "Can we have breakfast now? I'm starved."


End file.
